The Adrenaline Rush - Jenson Button wins the 2012 Australian Grand Prix

There are a whole lot of people like me who eagerly wait the exhilarating season of Formula 1. This 2012 season is very special. Not only is it going to be the longest, with the US Grand Prix making its debut, but it is also a season featuring six World Champions for the very first time as Kimi Raikkonen makes in comeback in Lotus F1 Racing. Michael Schumacher (7), Fernando Alonso (2), Sebastian Vettel (2), Kimi Raikkonen (1), Lewis Hamilton (1) and Jenson Button (1) between them have 14 World Championships. Not only is it great marketing for the sport but also great viewership, hoping they all have competitive cars at some point in the season.

The year’s season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix held at Albert Park, Melbourne. Though a street circuit with the Albert Park roads used 9-10 months by the public, it is very much like a racing circuit. Fortunes fluctuated during Friday and Saturday Practice with Jenson Button of McLaren, Michael Schumacher of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren taking top spots in first, second and third practices. Both Mercedes powered cars topped practice and looked like race winning cars.

Saturday qualifying started off with great disappointment for Raikkonen who ran wide just slightly and missed the chequered flag to set time in Q1. The Ferraris appeared to struggle during the pre-season testing and were the next set of casualties in Q2. Filipe Massa’s wrestle with his car and F1 racing in general continued as he ended with a disappointing 16th. Fernando Alonso erred on the first corner and could not set a reasonable time, yet out qualified his team mate with 12th position at the end of Q2.

The first few races can throw in some surprises and Q3 saw Pastor Maldonado of Williams, Nico Hulkenburg of Sahara Force India and Daniel Ricciardo of Toro Rosso as surprise entries. McLaren and Mercedes showed clear domination with the Red Bulls looking slightly pale. However, one Romain Grosjean of  Lotus, making a comeback in F1, spoilt the party with a superb third place finish. Hamilton took pole, followed by teammate Button.

Sunday afternoon saw an action packed race with a great start by Button taking lead in the first corner.  The first corner dramas saw a tragic exit for Hulkenburg while Grosjean’s dream run stalled early with a broken steering on lap 2. Both Ferraris made a great start to stomp into the top 10, with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg running up to forth. With Raikkonen at the back of the field, there were fireworks guaranteed and he did not disappoint. 2011 World Champion Sebastian Vettel followed up by a good move on Rosberg and started catching up with Schumacher. The seven-time World Champion who was looking good had a bitter end with a mechanical failure after not being able to select a gear.

Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber is one who never holds back to pull off some very impressive overtaking moves especially with the car he has, and does them quite cleanly, provided enough action in the midfield battle. Raikkonen too pulled off some fantastic moves; probably the best being on Kobayashi who intern was then trying a move on Massa. Massa eventually retired and one of the commentators echoed my feelings – he just hasn’t been the driver we’ve known after his accident in Hungary 2009.

Just around the second round of pitstops, Petrov’s Caterham broke down and bought in the safety car, which helped Vettel leapfrog Hamilton. The top five then stayed as in until the race end but once again the midfield battle wasn’t something to miss. Maldonado who drove a brilliant race to be up into sixth made a rookie mistake on a kerb to crash out on the last lap with Rosberg seeming to loose drive towards the end. Kobayashi and Raikkonen made the most of the situation to finish sixth and seventh, with less than a second separating the last five finishers. The last lap had enough action to warrant at least half a dozen separate replays.

When the five red lights went out, it was Hamilton, but the man to take the chequered flag was his teammate Button. Here’s a bit of trivia, the last five drivers to win the first race of the season have gone on to be World Champions. Statistically, it’s a good time to bet!

The Adrenaline Rush - We’re Boycotting the First Indian F1 Grand Prix Event

As India gears up for hosting its maiden Indian F1 Grand Prix, three key people who should have made it for the event, eventually decided to boycott it for its first year.

But haven’t Sachin Tendulkar, Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Deepika Padokone and like all said yes? They may have, but we haven’t. And we truly consider ourselves as are ardent F1 fans and devote fans for Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Oh yes, we love Fernando Alonso, SebastianVettel, Red Bull Racing and are very fond of  Force India F1, Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Mark Webber too!

Passion for F1 dates back long enough for us, so much so that even our initials spell out as CAR – Charan, Ashish and Rohit (yours truly)! We didn’t make money when we were delirious about the sport but even today, our passions run high enough for us to have travelled to the Singapore Street Circuit, F1’s only night race and Sepang, Kuala Lumpur. And we’re just ordinary hard working men with simple day jobs!

CAR and their leap of Joy at Sepang, 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos on the Malaysian Grand Prix, click here.
 

Schumacher made his return last year, and almost the year before that, and the one thing we rued the most was not having seeing the legend drive in person. Today for us, it is been there done that; one step further is that we’ve met the legend! That’s our adrenaline rush, that’s our passion. 

 Autograph signing at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos of Malaysia, click here.

And so, now that we’re in a classified but sadly unknown league above the who’s who and like, we bloody well have good reasons to skip the big daddy of all events.

• It happens only in India – We’re Indian to the core no matter how badly our government treats us and how corrupt it might be. And even though this is a private event, we’re known to have sweaty palms and cold feet for any major event. Dare I say it, but some disaster/embarrassment/fiasco is waiting to happen. The track was just about homogenised (approved) and ticket sales, scheduled for March, only began sales late September. 
• Event management - Having seen races before, we know for sure what treat and privileges fans get for an F1 event. Whether that would happen for the first Indian GP, we were not sure. And then we didn’t typically want to throw our unknown weight around trying to complain and advice how the show ought to be run. 
• Traffic Management – Singapore was excellent but we had our fair bit of problems on our way back from Sepang, Malaysia, who are 10+ years strong hosting F1 races, when we took an hour longer than what we should have. I can’t even imagine how our pot-bellied gutkha chewing and pan spitting traffic cops would have run the traffic. 
• Pricing – Rail/Air tickets, Race tickets, stay and food. Watching an F1 race is by no means a cheap and convenient affair like cricket might be. As the first ever event, the organisers have set the ticket pricing a little too steep instead of having promoting it. Being festivity times, train tickets were long gone, and that’s talking within 10 minutes on the opening day (90 days prior when we thought of going simply because Metallica were coming too) and the airfare is beyond reach. The city would no doubt be over crowded and stay wouldn’t come cheap either. Trust me when I say this – KL and Singapore worked out cheaper for us from Mumbai. 
• No Event Calendar – An integral part of any F1 race are the associated events. As fans, you also get to watch a few other races (Formula 2/3, Porsche/BMW series), air shows, take pit lane walks, go for autograph signing and much more.  None of this was listed on the official Web site, and didn’t make it even until early this week. Few of the above may not even happen; disappointing! 
• F1 Rocks – F1 is not just about the racing. Glamour has been an integral part to which music events like F1 rocks have been added. And these are part of the ticket price, where we managed to watch Shakira, Back Street Boys and likes. Metallica lured us and the only reason why we decided to go; but that was separate? Worse, the race is in Greater Nodia and the performance in Gurgaon? How on earth does that qualify as F1 Rocks? And let me not go to the money raking events like LAP, the after hours party with Lady Gaga, Roger Sanchez and many more international artists. 
• It’s the First – We love to brag and who better than the capital city; and so what if we don’t know what F1 is? I’m a VIP in Delhi (which every second person happens to be in the capital city) so I am going to get my contacts going and ensure that I’m there at the first ever Indian car racing thing or whatever that is; yeah the one that has Fraaree shraaree! And then – ‘Oye sale nu overtake karna bhi nahi aanda’ (the guy doesn’t even know how to overtake). VIPs, VVIPs, celebrities, their entourage cum dummies guide and their security. Thank you; we’re better off home. 
• A Virgin Track – The Greater Nodia tack, Buddh International Circuit is a fantastic track that’s going to be great for drivers and fans. But is it really ready yet for an F1 race? 

 Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull Racing F1 car at Sepang, 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos, on the Red Bull Racing team, click here.

 

Having said all that did we still feel that we are missing the event? Yes! We still wanted to be there and almost made a last minute impulsive dash as well. But in practicality, are we missing the event, probably not, because we’re having the last laugh/glad that we boycotted the event. 

• Friday practice started with a show down between Lewis Hamilton and a dog!
• The track surroundings still look far from being ready; I wonder if Bernie Ecclestone would have okayed had it not been India.
• The track lacked grip, which was expected, but the amount of dust around it is just not acceptable; classic example was turn 5 and turn 7 that saw additional kerb being deployed and Massa eventually breaking his suspension going around it.
• The evident vibrations on the long straight after turn 4; I hope all cars endure it for 60 continuous laps.
• Lights out – Nodia faced a major power cut on Thursday which affected the media centre and pit garages. You’re saying they did not have adequate power backup?
• You’re now getting a 60% discount on F1 tickets. Good morning organisers!
• F1 Rocks or should I say sucks? Metallica’s live showdown in Gurgaon; need I say any more?

And the race hasn’t even begun!
 
At the end though, no matter what, today, 30th October 2011, will go down as an eventful day in the history of Indian sports or any Indian event for that matter. I just hope that it is not for ALL the wrong reasons.

The Adrenaline Rush – Sebastian Vettel - A Bio

Apart from producing great beers, Germany also has a legacy of producing fantastic racing drivers; like the current Formula 1 World Champion from Heppenheim, Sebastian Vettel. 

Born on 3rd July 1987, while other kids were still figuring out how to spell ‘kart’, Vettel was behind the wheel of one. His first major success came by winning the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2001. He may not have bagged his drivers’ licence yet, but in 2004 he stomped his authority by winning 18 off 20 races in the Formula BMW Championship. 

Sebastian Vettel at the autograph signing session at Sepang, Malaysia, for the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos on Formula 1, check My Third Eye.

In 2006, BMW Sauber gave him his ticket to Formula 1 as a Test Driver where he went on to become the youngest driver to set fastest lap time, during Friday practice. His maiden race came with BMW Sauber in 2007 when he substituted for Robert Kubica at the US Grand Prix and ended up scoring points; again the youngest ever to do so. 

His talent was identified and nurtured by the Red Bull Team who gave him a drive thereafter in 2007. He justified their faith when he stormed from 16th to finish fourth in the Chinese Grand Prix. With consistent results in 2008, he then did the unthinkable; grab pole and victory at the Italian Grand Prix. That was good enough to get a promotion to the Red Bull Racing team for 2009, with whom he finished runners up. 

Sebastian Vettel takes lead in his Red Bull Racing car at Sepang, Malaysia, for the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos on Red Bull Racing, check My Third Eye.

Behind his boyish charm, jovial nature and witty humour lies a fierce competitor who wants to excel. The hunger within him saw him win 3 off the last 4 races of the 2010 season with Red Bull and become the youngest ever Formula 1 World and Double World Champion. In a short span, the charming heartthrob has an envious track record that makes him nothing but a prodigy at 24! 

Congratulations to him on winning the 2011 F1 Driver’s Title. 

The Adrenaline Rush - Indian Ministry is run by Jokers

‘Have you ever been involved in, supported, or encouraged terrorist activities in any country? Have you, ever been a member of, or given support to an organisation that has been concerned in terrorism?’

Visa forms for plenty of countries require you to answer this question; and I guess honestly. Though I wonder if a terrorist is ever going to tick Yes, but that’s another story altogether. What appears from the regular terrorist attacks on people in India is that India on the other hand seems to thrive on taking challenges. May be they do receive such applications with a Yes and also end up approving them. That seems to form the intelligence; the guys then probably pass that information to the police, who of course fail to take diligent action and ‘BOMB!’

So what happens when you tick ‘No’; well that’s something Nico Rosberg of Petronas Mercedes GP and half of the Formula 1 teams would know because they just learnt it first hand. It is ridiculous and embarrassing for India and we as Indians that visas are denied and/or rejected for sports persons, media, journalists, musicians and people of similar acclaim. Yes, we might be amongst the rare commonwealth nations to deny direct entry to British passport holders, but that’s just a fair and square protocol. No doubt, the visa should be required and must be issued with appropriate documentation, but can it and should it not be better facilitated for people who’s biography is easily available on Wikipedia coming for an event half the world knows about?

Nico Rosberg of Petronas Mercedes GP at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. For more photos on Formula 1, click here.

 

It is also pathetic of the customs department to levy an INR 400 crore import duty for the equipment being used for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which is supposed to be held in Greater Noida in October 2011. They would refund the same with a 2% deduction after the goods leave India, but that is just such an opportunistic way to get some money off a privately managed event. Why; just because the government hasn’t been able to make money and mockery like the Commonwealth Games last year?

This lame, irresponsible and shallow behaviour of the Indian Ministry is not going to help an international event of the magnitude of the F1. It may be a private event, but it is going to fetch the government hoards of money in form of taxes and tourism. In any event, it is certainly not a way to spread India’s name across the many first timers who are simply excited and delighted to be coming and participating in India. 

It’s time to wake up and take a step forward and assist Jaypee in putting up a smooth and successful event rather than causing embarrassment to the entire nation. If the Jokers in the Ministry don’t wake up, we’ll be a global laughing stock for the second year in succession!

The Adrenaline Rush - 20 Years of Adrenaline Pumping!

20 years of adrenaline pumping. G-force sustenance. At the highest level. Consistently. And still going strong.

I’ve been itching to write on one of my greatest passions for a very long time; yet today when I’ve begun, I am out of words. On the other hand, there could not have been a better way and a more symbolic occasion. One of the greatest sportsmen and achievers of all time, Michael Schumacher completes 20 years, 26th August 2011, in Formula 1 today. 

Michael Schumacher, up close in his Petronas Mercedes F1 car. For more photos on the Petronas Mercedes F1 Team, click here.

Schumacher began his career with karting before progressing to Formula 3 and ultimately Formula 1. His first wheel came behind the Jordan Formula One team as a replacement driver in 1991 at the Belgian Grand Prix. His hunger to excel at the pinnacle of the sport made everyone take note. On a circuit he never drove before, Schumacher cycled his way around the track before qualifying a stunning 7th. He didn’t start the race with a clutch failure on the grid, but it was enough for Benetton to quickly sign him up. And there was no looking back. A couple of seasons later he won his first world title and the living legend today has 7 world titles, 5 of them being consecutive, 91 race wins, 68 pole positions and 76 fastest laps to name a few; and he still hasn't lifted his foot off the gas pedal.  

Schumacher has records to boast and ones that might never be broken. The debate on whether he is the all time greatest can go on forever, but even the antagonists cannot deny that he is one of the all time greatest, if not the greatest. The late great Ayrton Senna once remarked, “By being a racing driver you are under risk all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, competing to win. And the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory, it's not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th.” Michael too has always gone for those wins. In the bargain, he has faced criticism several times for his dangerous driving and tactics, but you cannot take away the stunning drives he has relentlessly produced over the years. 

Schumacher in action in his Petronas Mercedes GP car at the 2011 Malaysia Grand Prix. For more photos on Michael Schumacher, click here.

He is an absolute rain maestro and is sublime on the corners. He joined Ferrari when it was in the dumps and took the team to great heights. His colleagues and race engineers report him as great team player who continuously works with them to get that extra bite of the car. Yes, there have been times when he has had a superlative car with no competition, but the domination he showed in those times makes him the legend he is. Not to forget, the times when there was no hope in his slow moving car and Schumi, as he is popularly known, produced magic to take pole position by half a second. You cannot ignore the Schumi touch and resolute fitness levels, evident that there was minimal change in him when he got off the car after a gruelling race, while younger counterparts looked exhausted (he ran an astounding 20 km daily as part of his fitness regime). 

It was my greatest dream and desire to meet my idol in person, which almost went off the window with his retirement in 2006. However, when he made a comeback at the age of 41 in 2010, the spark to meet him was back. Yes, the dream did come true for me when I met him in person in 2011, a feeling I will treasure all my life. And if you thought what a 42-year old is doing driving in Formula 1, he just went fastest in the first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix. 

Schumi, as he is popularly known, has lost no hunger in racing. Here seen racing Force India F1's Paul DiResta. For more photos on Formula 1, click here. 

I’m going use a line I so love – If they ever tell my story, let them say that I did not walk with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all times!

If Formula 1 is religion, Schumacher has to be God!

In the Spirit of Cricket

‘Yeah mate, that looks four I tell ya; let’s get off and grab our cup of tea!’

It did not for once ring a ‘Bell’ to Mr Ian that you cannot take anything for granted until a delivery is legally dead in cricket. After having played close to 200 international games (and may be 500 including first class), you call it a ‘novice’ mistake; excellent!

There is little doubt that he was out, technically, but Ian Bell couldn’t believe that he was out in actuality. He did start off with the fourth run when he looked and jogged towards the non-strikers end, and then assumed its four or felt ‘lets go take tea anyways’, just continued to walk off.

Face it, what he did was nothing short of foolishness, half the English commentators and former players believed that he was out and that’s how it should stay. After all, you cannot have room for foolishness in professional sport. And if it was allowed, then players like Sourav Ganguly, who rarely dragged is bat into the crease while running, should have been allowed to make a lot more runs in his career.

India on the other hand has been victim of such foolishness and unsporting behaviour for a better part of their cricketing career. Not wasting time on a very elaborate list, the most recent one was Laxman’s dismissal when get got stumped off Chanderpaul in the Test series against the West Indies. A quick flashback – Laxman played and missed and was well within the crease but very unknowingly had his backfoot in the air for a fraction – and viola – he was gone and it stayed that way!

No spirit of cricket came in there or the many instances when batsmen collided with bowlers, didn’t make it to the crease and got run out. There have been exceptions when Hansie Cronje of South Africa reversed his decision, but there may have been some other reasons behind it.

It was very surprising that Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower actually requested Dhoni for a reconsideration. What Dhoni and India did was sporting and simply best to avoid further controversies. Peer pressure or gut feel, we wouldn’t know.

Wonder what the outcome would be if the same incident happened but instead of Bell, it was Tendulkar or Dravid who were on the receiving end – would Strauss be that generous? Or what would the reaction be, if the same Bell incident happened but the venue was in India – would Dhoni have still reversed his decision?

That’s why for me, it is just inconsistent and situational. The only undoubted spirit in cricket that always exists is the alcohol in the English stands!

Another Brick from The Wall

Rahul Dravid recently notched up his 33rd and 1st hundred at Lord’s. However, once again like on most other occasions, it was overshadowed by the fact that Tendulkar was lining up for his hundredth 100 and also because in the end he was the lone solder (with Laxman and Raina in the end) fighting in the eventual Indian defeat.

A brilliant 95 had gone unheard and unseen in Ganguly's gorgeous 120, both of whom debuted in the same game at Lord's.

An outstanding '99 World Cup went in vain and forgotten post India's exit (effectively from Zimbabwe's hands).

His supreme ODI knocks that came in that World Cup also took a backseat because Tendulkar and Ganguly too scored in those respective matches.

The unforgettable stand between Laxman and him will always highlight Laxman's brilliant 280.

His extra effort for the team by playing a keeper (with a batting average of ~44.25 in 70+ matches is probably the best for an Indian keeper after MSD) even in the '03 World Cup to allow India another batsmen/bowler, was sadly overshadowed by he not being good enough for the format (even though he was brisk during this phase and not bad overall either).

His brilliance in both innings at Adelaide were marred by the fact that we couldn't win the series when we had a good chance.

While he was still good with the bat, he was dropped post the 2007 World Cup, despite playing a super innings in a game where almost everyone else failed.

The first (and still probably the only) batsmen to have scored a 100 against all test teams, Rahul ‘The Wall Dravid’ has stood tall and conquered them all. 

Rahul Dravid stands at being the worlds second highest run getter and the worlds highest run getting in the fourth innings.

While most other big-named batsmen have opted and put their foot down on where they would be batting (and not changing their batting position for the team’s sake), the conventionally one-down Rahul Dravid has done it all – opening, middle order and lower middle order depending on the situation and preference and form of other players. 

The list can go on!

Yet today, with all those marathon innings and desperate saves, he doesn’t find a mention in anyone’s list of a Test Dream Team 11. While stats are a great way to say how an individual has done, they are never able to speak how much an individual has helped his team and other individuals. Yes, Dravid has been guilty of some ‘boring’ batting where he scored a 30 of 100 balls and worse, got out thereafter. However, what’s probably missed are the times that ‘boring’ batting, which may have started at 10/1, have been solid defence shielding the batting to come.

Very quietly, Rahul Dravid has simply gone about doing his job for the past 15 years; away from all controversies but also away from most of the limelight!

And that's the sad part – which is probably why he is not adored as much as he should!

Thank you for the magic, Warnie! (concluding part)

In continuation to the first part of the series, which can be viewed here, this is the concluding part.

3. Warne’s 96: Now you may think when did this happen? Yes, Warne’s highest score is the 99 against New Zealand (which they discovered later that he was actually out off a no-ball), so when did the 96 come by. In 2005, Warne took the Test Cricket arena with a storm where he recorded some unbelievable and enviable milestones. He had a fantastic Ashes series in England, which England won 2-1, where he took 40 wickets and scored 249 runs. Not to forget, it was in this very series that Warne become the first bowler ever to scalp 600 victims in test cricket. Cherry on the cake – he finished the year with 96 wickets in a calendar year, a world record!

2. Mike Gatting bowled Warne: Need I say more? Well, for the unfortunate few who haven’t seen it yet, this one’s easily found on youtube and is a must watch. What seemed to be drifting down leg, after having pitched outside leg-stump, pitched and turned to hit middle and off. And that was what begun the revival of classic leg-spin bowling. Take a bow! Also equally accomplishing are the ones that had Gooch (and at least a dozen others) bowled round their legs and Basit Ali (I think) bowled between his legs (very similar how Sachin had his best ball bowl Moin Khan – only being an off-break instead).

1. Captain Warne takes home the Cup: The Gatting dismissal would have taken the cake because that the ‘rise of the legend’. But along came another chapter that was almost not going to be written. Warne, with 708 wickets to his tally, retired at the SCG in 2006 after the 2006 Ashes victory. There was nothing left to be proved, nothing left to be accomplished and Warne was to live his life happily ever after. Along came 2008 and the much awaited Indian Premier League (IPL). Warne’s name was the first to pop out in the bids, and with no bids, Rajasthan Royals managed to get him at his base price. Now, what would a leggie retired two years ago, even though one of the best bowlers of all times, have in a run-fest T20 competition? Captaincy, Coaching and Mentoring – that’s what the Royals offered Warnie in a team that hardly had any stars to bank on for a winning a match, let alone go all the way. Experts tipped them to at best cause an upset or two. However, Warne led, inspired and transpired champions. His innovative ways his master experience proved that he was the best captain that Australia never had. Warne and his romantics (as Harsha Bhogle calls them) won a record 11 off 14 matches, with a 100% record at home, and went on to lift the maiden IPL trophy. It was like witnessing a saga – moments that I vividly remember, moments that further glorified Warne’s legacy!

I’m going to borrow a line – If they ever tell my story, let them say that I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner of all times!

Thank you Shane Warne – you will be missed!

Thank you for the magic, Warnie! (Part 1)

Shane Warne is a living legend. Legends do the impossible and write and rewrite chapters of history. Shane Warne has done all of that and much more.

Shane Warne made a forgettable debut against India, a match where Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar tore his bowling apart. Warne’s only success was the wicket of Shastri, not before Shastri had hit a double hundred and Warne, in the bargin, had gone for 150. Not many, probably not even Warne himself, would have thought after that game that he would go on to be one of the greatest spinners of all time and end up with over 700 test and nearly 300 ODI wickets. Fitting enough, he played his last professional cricket match in India for the Rajasthan Royals and against his greatest nemesis and good pal, Sachin Tendulkar.

Warne’s journey has been an epic one; a journey with all its high’s and its fair share of lows. I pick some of my favourite moments that today are part of history and have made Shane Warne what he is today.

5. Shane Warne hits the winning runs: Warne, a great bowler, was also an able batsmen but probably not someone who could win a game with the bat on his own merit. RR had a terrible start to their opening game in IPL with a loss against Delhi Daredevils but then won against KXIP. They were looking down the dumps against the Deccan Chargers, after the Chargers hit 220-odd. Some superb and inspired batting at the top of the order got the Royals close, but they still needed 17 of the last Symonds over with all accomplished batsmen back in the hut. The dying hope was Captain Shane; who nailed it in three strikes! RR won, Warne was an unlikely hero with the bat. Trivial it may sound but this was the start for the ‘Road to Victory.’

4. World Cup Glories: Warne’s most memorable ODI performance would surely go down to his World Cup performances for which he won the Man of the Match (MoM) awards. In the 1996 Semi-Finals, West Indies look set to complete the final few formalities before they meet the Lankans in the Finals. McGrath bought in a glimmer of hope and Warne took a leap to wreak the West Indies taking 4 for 30-odd; Richie Richardson was left stranded and Australian won by a whisker of 5 runs. Warne followed up the performance in the 1999 World Cup Finals against Pakistan, when he once again took 4 for 30-odd to setup an easy win for the Aussies. Clearly, Warne was a man for the big stage. When his team needed him the most, he invariably got the job done. Today, this seems so evident in cricket Australia after both Warne and McGrath have hanged their boots.

The concluding part...with my top pick...can be viewed here.

Eye Pay All 2010 - How the Teams Stack Up - Part 2 (concluding)

This is the second and concluding part of this series. The first part can be viewed here.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Another very consistent outfit; sadly for them, they’ve been consistently bad! Their squad this year looks depleted than ever with limited international recruits. Looks like the management have already given-up and are just waiting for the Season 4 auctions. Somehow, I’ll still go with them as my dark horse for the semis spot.

Upside: Saurav’s Dadagiri being back in place – one leader and their best leader!

Watch out for: David Hussey and Brad Hodge who seem like the sliver lining in this very dark cloud. Rohan Gavaskar – we haven’t heard of him in a longwhile and chances are we wouldn’t if he doesn’t do much. He’ll definitely want to prove and make an impact.

Downside: McCullum and Gayle, their big guns, are on national duty and out of form respectively.

Mumbai Indians: They have a dream opening pair in Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar, but success has eluded this highly potent team. Sachin the captain sadly never enjoyed the success that Sachin the cricketer enjoys and this seems to have rubbed on here as well. Irrespective of what’s happened in the past, this team would want to prove more than just a point, more than any other outfit.

Upside: With Sachin and Sanath in one team opening the batting, magic is just waiting to happen.

Watch out for: Kieron Pollard – they payed a bomb for him so he better have their moneys worth!

Downside: Sachin the captain!

Rajasthan Royals: The fairy tale team of the IPL, who had a dream run in season one and fought tooth-and-nail in season 2 with their very limited resources. May give the impression that they are the weakest team on paper, but they’re not; and definitely one of the highest on team spirit. Their batting was aweful last year but with Martyn, Voges and Lumb, they’re looking better set this year.

Upside: Warne; they say he’s probably the best captain that Australia never had and I’d say he’s the best captain that the IPL has!

Watch out for: Yusuf Pathan – not too long ago he cracked a 40-ball hundred and there’s seems no reason why he can’t repeat. Shaun Tait – who’s in prolific pace and form in this format of the game.

Downside: Shane Watson not being around – their hero is in the form of his life but will miss half the IPL due to national duty!

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mr Mallya promised to turn this team around after the first year and so he did. From a test team to near Season 2 champions, RCB have come along a long way. Captain Kumble leads a formidable line-up that’s capable of ousting any team on most days.

Upside: Kumble proved two huge points last reason – T20 isn’t really a young man’s game and nor is it just a bowler’s nightmare.

Watch out for: Cameron White – he’s in great touch and has been making big runs down in Australia and New Zealand, and should be immediately after the NZL ODI series. Virat Kohli is so much more matured than last year should be a great plus at the top of the order.

Downside: Kevin Pietersen is their biggest buy and is in the worse form of his life!

Well, these are my views based on what the IPL site said on the squad. Injuries and availability can further ruin my analysis and worse, make it worse for the teams!

Anyways, the bottom line is…

Eyes – will watch

Pay – people will for sure

All – will be happy!

Eye Pay All 2010 - How the Teams Stack Up - Part 1

The tournament has almost arrived. The warriors from the eight teams are all set to put the politics and everything apart from the cricket behind and ready to shrug it out in the stadia (of course followed by the impressive post match parties at night). It would be unfortunate if I didn’t check the teams and see how they stack up!

Chennai Super Kings: One of the most consistent teams of the IPL – finalists in season 1 and semi-finalists in season 2. Led by the very able MSD, there seems nothing different that won’t put them in my top favourites to make it to the semis, technically! Realistically though, I probably feel that might just miss the bus this year.

Upside: MSD and his never-say-die spirit will rub on to his men as well. Hayden back from hibernation should be destructive as ever. Their all-rounders pack seems a killer combination.

Watch out for: Justin Kemp – another big hitter in this line up of big hitters is a great inclusion and with Oram having to probably sit out due to injury, he should probably play.

Downside: The bowling – though you can never count Ntini and Murli out, but you probably wouldn’t count them in these days either! Hayden after hibernation, if rusted, would not be very happy news for CSK.

Deccan Chargers: Winners of last year’s tournament have had two very extreme outings – last and first. Would they finish somewhere in between this year, difficult for me to say!

Upside: Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds can literally decimate any attack on their day. A very decent batting and all-rounders troop to choose from should simplify the captain’s job (or may be not).

Watch out for: Ryan Harris – he’s been one consistent performer in the shorter form of the game but is a part of Australia’s test squad and should miss all of March. Roach and Ojha should also be doing well in the bowling department.

Downside: Where’s Scotty Stiris? Somehow don’t seem to stitch things together. The IPL 2 too saw them just about make it through despite stomping in their first four matches.

Delhi Daredevils: This team is one of my favourites as far as a balanced outfit goes. The explosive batsmen just never seem to end and a strong bowling attack to back them up. A sure pick for the semis though they seem to have messed it up thereafter on both occasions.

Upside: Imagine this as a batting lineup – Sehwag, Warner, Gambhir, Dilshan, AB Devilliers (and Nannes being the fourth international pick). Need I say more?

Watch out for: Obviously – the above play together. Now that’s what you’d love to pay money for in a T20 game!  

Downside: Nehra is prone to injury and Parnell just got smacked all over during the India-RSA series. There is a possibility of getting after the bowling, but I’d call that only as a possibility and the oppositions only hope!

Kings XI Punjab: A consistent outfit back by an effervescent co-owner in Preity Zinta, this team only just lost out last year’s semi final spot. Like me and million others, they’d probably want to do very well just to see Preity smile.

Upside: Kumar Sangakarra – He’s doing a great job leading the national side. Under him, I’d be disappointed if they don’t make it to the semis.

Watch out for: Sangakarra – the third captain of foreign nationality. Was he in terrific form or what post the terrible test series in India? Yuvraj Singh – he may have got the axe as a captain and that might just push him to a new level; just to prove a point! I’d love to see Kaif as a dark horse!

Downside: Injured and rusty! Yuvraj, Lee, Marsh have all been injured off late whereas Sangakarra, Jayawardene, Bopara have been out of action for a while!

The second and concluding part of this series can be viewed here. 

Eye Pay All 2010 - Jadeja Dredd!

So it is official. Ravidra Jadeja will not be part of the IPL’s third season. After hearing and considering all sides of the story, the committee will stay with Jadeja’s ban of one year. It has been a topic of very mixed views and responses. Some feel that it is a lesson to the youngster and subsequently the others who are lured by the lucrative deals whereas others feel it is something that needs to be dealt with maturity and proper counselling.

Some years ago too there was something similar wherein the Indian cricketers were criticised for spending more time off the field with commercials and less time on the field playing serious cricket. Here again, the case was of a cricketer trying to make hay while the sun shines. Clearly, there are two equally important aspects of the story – one that there is pride involved in the sport especially at the national level which is being compromised by deeds like these and two the fact that the game and the board itself is so commercialised, why should be players be left behind?

True, when Jadeja signed with the Royals, he was probably picked as a player from the emerging talent/junior cricketer list. Now, with some consistent performances he has made it to the national side and could rightfully demand a fatter pay check. No matter what the media reports, the facts remain with RR, Jadeja and the IPL committee. Weather it was Jadeja’s greed or RR playing it smart and knowing the rule books better, we may never know.

There is no denying that there is greed as well, which sometimes takes precedence over the pride and joy of playing the game. Success getting into the head of some young players that force them to take reckless steps is higher on the cards given the commercial stakes involved. I read a good article where a former cricketer suggested counselling to these future stars. But I wonder how much would that help. Today, several players prefer playing leagues like the IPL as opposed to a place in the national squad – I don’t think the IPL would ever want to complain. If the game itself is so heavily commercialised that it probably is unfair to point fingers at the players directly, at first. Its perspective or two sides of the same coin! It’s an individual’s call!

PS: I like my job and you probably do the same. I work hard and feel I deserve a nice pay hike and you too, I am sure feel the same. If we don’t get that hike or we feel we can explore for a better offer, we’d try out elsewhere, wouldn’t we? Would we inform our current organisation whatever our contract says that we’re on the look out?

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Eye Pay All 2010 – A Game of Politickers and Cricktics!

Cricket can get boring and Politics can sometimes be exciting. Pretty much the same when you see the Shane Warnes, the Shahid Afridi’s and the other many talk around like politicians. On the other hand, politicians have also been getting bored with politics and so have thought to come out on a green (green – also happens to be the colour of money) pitch and bowl some quick seem-up deliveries along with some nasty bouncers.

After all the drama around the auctions and the exclusion of the Pakistan players that took place in the first couple of weeks, the controversies that always somehow seem to surround the IPL, just – took off again! SRK came to the defence of the Pakistan players – early realisation? Well, that was just the opening politicians, who had gone quite and who had little to do in their hibernation, needed to wake up. Better still, they had two lovely ‘issues’ to rake – why is someone supporting Pakistan cricketers and that Indians are being attacked in Australia, Australians will not be allowed to play in India, more specifically in Maharashtra (by now you all know the political party).

The media covered this story with great enthusiasm, after all, King Khan had My Name Is Khan lined up for release – his first major release in over a year! On the other side, officials from the BCCI had a chat over the participation of the Australians and finally managed a ‘Yes’. SRK also sorted things out and his flick was about to release. Then the grapes turned sour – again there was a thought if Australians should be allowed or not. Shane Warne played hero trying the bridge the rift and did succeed but then now he too has been (incorrectly, I hear) citied by the Australian media on fears on playing in India. SRK’s flick was disrupted – a few things broken, a few hearts broken, but eventually – Aal Izz Well!

When the dust is settled it just so seems like the IPL does love the controversy or are some jinxed by it. How come, year after year do they get into some (or should I say many) controversy or the other? Not that they are any short of it, but publicity? Someone did put this question up to which Mr Modi responded – ‘We don’t create the controversies. We work day and night just to clear them. We get no joy by over working ourselves.’ Benefit of the doubt – given! But sometimes, ignorance is indeed bliss – probably just doing your work and staying out of controversy anyways.

On a special note – I don’t like getting too political, but yes, I’ve got my views and mostly they’re not too good. I loved the letter Mr Rajdeep Sardesai wrote to Mr Uddhav Thackeray. Time and again we’ve spent far too many resources on very irrelevant and highly avoidable matters and seen significant consequences happen on other grounds, like the ones in Pune (RIP)! Attention gets diverted into these frivolous matters to leave the flood gates open for the opportunists to cash in. And then what happens with the politicians – the same people simply sit quiet and tight with doubled securities. Please, wake up at the right times! Try control the people coming with dubious intentions and not those with valid visas and permits to play and entertain. It is convenient and an easy route to stop and create a ruckus about something genuine, and the easier route is mostly the incorrect one!

Bottomline – let sports be away from politics and politicians take up more serious issues other than something that is just a sport.